Servants of Time: Forgotten Hearts
by xValkyrieHeart
Summary: Her mission was simple; Clean out the attic. But when things take an unexpected turn, she and her sister are transported to an entirely different world! Can they handle the life of a Spider Rider? More importantly, can they unlock the key to their past?
1. The Box

**A/N: **Just a quick author's note. This is an AT (alternative time line) fic. It's set some time after the series (actual time has not yet been decided. But it WILL be mentioned in the story sooner or later, so keep a look out for it). Also, if you were hoping to find the actual characters of SR in here... this is not the fic for you. All the characters in this story are OC's. Though, the real characters will be _mentioned_ at some point in the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders. I do, however, own my OC's. :)

xXx

Clean the attic. Of all the things I have to do around the house, cleaning out the attic is what I hate the most. Doesn't my mom know about the bugs? There are spiders everywhere up here! Not just that, but it's creepy. It doesn't help that this is where we store our Halloween decorations, either. It's frightening. Truly frightening.

I had opened up all the windows so I could feel some sort of fresh air and get more light inside. The windows hadn't been cleaned in ages; they were practically black with dust. I really should clean those, but for now I'll just work on the decoration section. No need to be up here when night falls.

I sat against the wall under an open window, tossing out the trash decorations that I knew we'd never use again because they were broken (or because I honestly just didn't like them), and organizing what was left into the brand new plastic bins my mom had bought this morning. I guess it's a fair trade off. With that little touch of OCD I've been developing for the past few years, I'm the most organized, and so I clean the attic. My sister was stuck with the housecleaning.

"Broken…broken…broken…broken…ugly…broken…" I muttered, tossing the decorations near me out the window absently. My eyes closed and my head tapped against the wall.

"It's too hot," I said to myself, then screamed, "Max! It's too hot!" I stomped my foot so my sister down below could hear me over the vacuum noise that was drifting up. The noise stopped. Either Max had somehow managed to pull out the plug at the appropriate moment, or I'm better at stomping than I thought.

"What was that, Kana?" She shouted.

"It's too hot up here!" I called down, my eyes still shut, and still sitting against the wall.

"It's your choice! You can do it during the morning, or you can do it at night." she said, turning the vacuum back on, and then off again at a second stomp from me. "What now!"

"Can I have a glass of water?" I asked sweetly.

"Get it yourself!"

"Can't you take a joke?" I huffed, turning back to my work as the vacuum turned on again. "I'm allowed to act like a kid every once in a while, I'm sick of being the only responsible one here!" I shouted.

"Stop complaining up there!" Max shouted back. "Why don't you get your iPod? You can listen to your choir music or whatever it is. That will make it more bearable, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that'll cool me down," I muttered, rolling me eyes. "And it's Glee! At least get the name right!" Nevertheless, I stood up and raced down the stairs to get my iPod, whacking a box and sending it clattering to the floor as I left.

From there, a small, square box toppled. It landed on the floor quietly, alone in the center of the room. I didn't really care that something had fell. But it did. And it was there. And it could wait a few more minutes for me to come back.

I rushed around my bedroom frantically, searching for my iPod. I eventually found it, hiding beneath my bed. But the headphones weren't plugged in. I sighed in frustration, knowing exactly where they could have gone.

I stormed out of my room, and into the kitchen, where Max was now chopping up a cucumber with ease. "You're getting really good at that, Max." I commented, as she looked up and continued to slice through.

"Thanks. Did you finally come to get the glass of water you wanted?" She said, rolling her eyes slightly, but I knew she was just kidding.

"Har, har." I said sarcastically. "No! I'm here for my headphones." I explained, yanking them out of her ear and out of the headphone jack on her iPod.

"Hey!" Max cried in annoyance.

"Hay is for the horses." I teased, running back up the stairs, towards the attic. I hadn't counted on her following me. But, sure enough, she did. I looked back to see that she was hot on my heels. I reached the top of the stairs, and threw open the door to the attic. I tried to close it before she could get in, but she timed the 'foot in the door' thing a little to well.

"Give them back!" She yelled, entering the attic, despite my best efforts to keep her out.

"No! They're mine! I didn't give you permission to use them!"

"So! I still-" Then she saw that box, and stopped talking suddenly.

I turned, seeing the box myself; that dark wooden box that sent my heart into a fit. I'd seen it before…but where? Where had I seen it? There was a buzzing in my ears, louder and louder as my hands trembled to pull the box to my lap. I drummed my fingers on the lock. I shouldn't open it. I shouldn't. It was a bit scary, a bit strange. It just didn't feel _right_. The box was warm, like it had been in the sun all day. But it had been nowhere near the window… I know I sound crazy, but I felt like there was something… magical about the box. The smart thing would be to follow my gut feeling and put it away.

But the lock clicked open anyway.

xXx

**A/N:** So, that's the first chapter! :) Please review. It makes me happy. OwO


	2. The Lady In The Mirror

**A/N: **Hey, guys! :D I'm sad... I didn't get any reviews. :( Oh well... maybe this time will be more productive..? -winkwink- Anyways, here's chapter two! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders. I do, however, own my OC's. :)

xXx

I opened the lid, fully expecting a creature from hell to leap out at me. Nothing though, just two strange looking electronic-type… bracelets? I really had no idea what they were. I ran my fingers over the one with the black gem. The base of it was dark purple, and it had three silver spikes on either side of the gem. I picked it up, the light reflecting in the gem, making it look like a swirling pool of darkness.

Max reached over my shoulder and grabbed the other one. It had red gem and a black base, while its spikes were gold. She stared at in awe. "What… are these?" She whispered.

"I… have no idea…" I breathed, still staring at it. I suddenly realized that it hadn't been the box that was warm; it had really been these things, their heat so strong it could be felt through the box. You'd think holding them would be painful to touch, if it was that hot… but it wasn't. It was very comfortable to hold. My eyes wandered back down to the box.

"Ew, a spider." I mumbled, flipping the box over and dumping the eight-legged bug on the floor.

When I said spider, both of the bracelets started to glow a faint white color.

"What the heck!" Max cried, dropping the glowing object in surprise. But it didn't fall to the floor. Instead, it attached itself to her forearm. "What's going on! Kana, help! Get it off me!" She whimpered.

I snapped out of my trance when my sister cried out in alarm. "Wh-what?" I said, fazed.

"HELP!"

I wanted to help, but I was a little distracted by the fact the bracelet I was holding was being attracted to my own forearm, like a magnet. "I'm a little busy here!" I said warily, wrestling with the thing. It was no use. It eventually out matched me, and fastened itself to my wrist.

I stopped struggling, and stared at the thing that was now stuck to me. "Max," I said. She stopped her frantic fight with the bracelet and looked at me curiously. "Do these things… look familiar to you…?"

She looked at her arm, and stared at the thing curiously. "No..." She responded, giving me a 'you're crazy' look.

Maybe I was just being stupid. Well, of course I was! Where in the world would I have ever seen something like this before? Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I _had_ seem them before...

"Ew!" Max cried, breaking my train of thought. "A SPIDER!"

She was pointing to the spider I had dumped out of the box earlier. I rolled my eyes. "Relax, Max. It's just a tiny, harmless spider. It's not going to hurt you."

Every time the word 'spider' was spoken, both of our bracelets would quickly light up, and then fade, each time brighter than the last. It was slightly unnerving.

"SPIDERS ARE NOT HARMLESS! THEY ARE DISGUSTING, UGLY, HAIRY CREATURES."

Our bracelets lit up again, but this time they didn't fade out. They stayed lit, glowing a faint yellow color.

"Nice one, Max! You activated some magical thingy that's stuck to our bodies!" I sighed in annoyance.

"Me? I didn't do anything! You're the one who-"

She stopped talking suddenly, and stared, horrified, at something behind me. I turned around to see what she was looking at, and felt my jaw drop in dismay.

The old cracked mirror that had been up here since before the beginning of time, was glowing the same color of yellow that the bracelets were.

"Now you've done it..." I said in frustration. I got up and walked in front of the mirror, fully expecting to see my reflection. Instead of seeing myself, I saw a beautiful woman, her green hair swaying, as if there was a slight breeze. Her eyes were closed, but she said one word to me.

"Come."

As crazy as it seems, I felt the strongest urge to listen to the strange lady in the mirror. Without consciously making the decision, my feet propelled me towards the mirror. I was about an inch away from it, before Max finally found her voice.

"Kana! Have you lost your mind! Get away from there! What are you doing? It's not safe!"

"Yes it is..." I replied without hesitating.

"Oh? And how could you possible know that a glowing mirror isn't safe? Mirrors aren't supposed to glow. It's not natural!"

I wanted to argue, and point out that she was the one who made it start glowing in the first place, but all I said was, "I know it because the lady in the mirror told me to come."

Max's eyes popped, and she stared at me as if I was literally loosing my mind. "The lady.. in the..." She hesitantly walked over and stood behind me, easily seeing over me, seeing as she was some six inches taller (even though I was three years older). "There's no lady..." She said quietly.

"What are you talking about? She's right there..." I responded, staring at the woman with my soulful green eyes.

"Kana... no one is there..." Max insisted, her voice a slightly higher pitch than before, due to worrying over my sanity.

"Help me..." The lady whispered. She sounded as if she was in pain. I felt a pang of sympathy, and then I knew that I had to help her.

"Just trust me on this, Max! There's a lady in there, and she needs our help!" I tried to take that final step, that would send me in to the mirror (which, I was now pretty sure had turned in to a portal of some kind), but Max reached out and caught my arm.

"Kana, no! This is insane! YOU are insane! Stop this!" She cried, real concern dripping from her voice.

I yanked my arm out of her grip. Unfortunately, I used so much force, that I went tumbling head first into the mirror-portal.

I was falling downwards, the wind whipping my face. Somehow, I managed to look up, and saw Max staring into the portal, wide-eyed and scared, as she watched me fall.

"Thank you..." I heard the lady's mysterious voice whisper.

xXx

**A/N:** Does anyone know how to describe a manacle? Because the best I could come up with is 'bracelet', which is extremely lame. xD I apologize for that. xD I'll cease calling them that when Kana finds out what they actually are. :P Anyways.. please review this time! D: I don't care if it's just a simple "nice story"! I just want o know that SOMEONE likes it, at least... Constructive criticism is welcomed, too. :)


	3. The Angel

**A/N: **_Thanks for the reviews, guys! :) Keep it up? :3 Here's chapter three! Sorry it took so long. I'll try to make the next update faster!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders. But I do own the characters of Rue, Hazelle, and Kana._

xXx

I awoke in a small log cabin, the only source of light coming from the lit fireplace beside me. I was on a bed, blankets wrapped around me. I was sweating slightly, but that was probably a combination of the blankets and proximity to the fire. I sat up, causing pain to shoot through what felt like every part of my body. I clutched my head, groaning.

"Oh, good! You're awake!" The sudden voice made me jump in surprise.

The girl had been lurking in the corner of the room, blending in with the shadows. I hadn't even noticed her. She bounced over to my bedside, excitement and curiosity sparkling in her eyes. She was a tiny thing; couldn't be over four foot seven. Probably around eight years old, I decided.

"Momma! She's up!" She screamed, right in my face.

I flinched at the noise. "You know, for someone so small, you sure are loud." I mumbled.

"I get that a lot!" She beamed at me.

I stared at her, unsure of how to react to the buoyant, slightly obnoxious child. She returned my gaze, unblinking. Probably waiting for me to say something else.

A woman entered the room then, carrying a tray with a bowl of what I thought might be soup. She was very pretty, I guessed she was about twenty five years old. She had a wrinkled blue apron wrapped around her waist, indicating she had been in the kitchen.

How odd this scene must look to her. Her daughter and a random stranger engaged in a staring contest.

"Rue..." The woman sighed, exasperated.

The little girl, Rue, looked away from me, and bounded over to her mother. Before that moment, it hadn't occurred to me that I was in another person's house, lying in their bed.

"I don't mean to be rude," I said politely. "But, who are you?" I figured I would just skip to the point.

The woman smiled kindly, and handed me the soup. I looked at cautiously, then shrugged and slurped it down. It burned my throat, but I didn't care. I was really hungry.

"My name is Hazelle. This is my daughter, Rue." She replied, sitting in the rocking chair near the table.

"My name is Kana..."

"Nice to meet you, Kana." Hazelle smiled.

"How did I get here?" I asked, unable to contain myself.

"That is a question for Rue." Hazelle said simply, looking down at her daughter, who had previously climbed onto her lap.

I looked at Rue expectantly, and she stared back.

"You fell from the sky!" She squealed happily.

I blinked, my jaw dropping. "You're kidding me...She's kidding, right?" I asked, looking to Hazelle for reassurance. But all I received was a small twitch of her lips, as she tried to hold back a laugh.

"Nope! Not kidding! You really fell from the sky! ...Are you an angel?" Rue added as an afterthought, her eyes full of child-like wonder towards me. "You look like you could be an angel! You're pretty!" She giggled.

I blushed, and looked down to conceal it. "No, I'm not an angel... Rue, what do you mean, when you say I 'fell from the sky'?"

"I meant what I said!" She tittered impatiently.

"Why do you start from the beginning, and tell her exactly what happened, Rue." Hazelle cut in.

"Kay!"

I sat up straighter as I listened to this little girl's story about how she had been out in the garden, picking some tomatoes, when suddenly, an angel (I'm the angel, apparently), appeared in the sky out of no where, and started falling. And then hit the ground with a very loud 'thud'. I flinched when she said that. Her story was so far-fetched, it was beyond unbelievable. But, it would explain why my entire body ached...

"...So then I ran over to where you landed, to make sure you weren't dead- But I KNEW you couldn't be dead, because angels don't die," She rambled on. "And you weren't, of course, so I ran inside and got momma! She brought you inside! ...You slept for a long time."

"Rue, why don't you go to the kitchen and get Kana some water? She must be very thirsty." Hazelle suggested.

"Kay!" Rue chirped, bouncing out of the room.

"So, what really happened?" I asked Hazelle, as soon as the little girl was out of ear shot. But Hazelle just shook her head, as if to say "I don't know".

Rue came back in with a glass of water, and I immediately chugged it down. I hadn't noticed how thirsty I was.

"Rue said I had been sleeping for a long time. How long was I out?"

"A whole week!" Rue answered.

I felt my eyebrows raise. An entire week? I tried to think back to before my "fall". What had happened? What could have possibly... and then it hit me. Cleaning out the attic, Max, the box... The box! I hurriedly brought my arm up to my face and examined it.

The bracelet was still on me. I stared at in, in total shock. Then I remembered the mirror, falling down the portal, the beautiful woman who needed my help... Max's face when she looked in to the portal and saw I was gone... And then I knew what had happened. Or at least, I had a good idea.

"Spider Rider!" Rue giggled.

"I- What?" I started, taken aback by Rue's random comment.

"You're wearing a manacle," Hazelle said slowly. "It means you're a Spider Rider... surely you must know this."

But I didn't know. "What... is a Spider Rider?"

Hazelle looked troubled by my question, and I wondered why. "A Spider Rider is a great hero who helps anyone in need of it, with the assistance of a battle spider." She could tell by the look on my face, I didn't know what a battle spider was, either. So she continued, "A battle spider is a ten foot tall spider, who's sworn duty is to protect the people of Arachna. Sometimes they battle alone, but normally they are accompanied by a Rider."

I was silent, digesting this information. "Arachna?" I finally said.

The troubled look on Hazelle's face was enough to make me worried, too. "Arachna... is what we call the Inner World... Just as you call your world 'Earth'..." Hazelle said the last part so quietly, I had to lean forward (which sent more pain buzzing through my body) just to hear her.

So... I was in an entirely different world? I had figured the portal had opened up into the sky, and I fell from it, which would explain Rue's story. But I hadn't counted on being dropped into another world completely. This wasn't good.

I was scared, and I guess it showed on my face, because Rue climbed off of Hazelle and onto my bed, cuddling into my neck, as if to comfort me, and Hazelle said, "Well, you should get some more rest. You received a couple broken ribs from your fall. And you back is severely bruised. We'll talk more later."

I could tell by the way she said that, I was lucky to come out with so little damage. "Thank you, I will..."

Rue slid off me, and exited the room with Hazelle. I lay down, closing my eyes. I was lucky to have been found by such kindhearted people. I didn't want to imagine what would have happened if I had landed somewhere remote, where no one would find me...

I slowly drifted into unconsciousness, images of the day in the attic flashing through my head. The last one I saw before going under, was Max's horrified face as I fell through the portal. I knew that image would haunt me for as long as I was here.

xXx

**A/N: **_Reviewwww? :D Sorry this chapter was kind of boring. xD But it was necessary for Kana to understand what she is! Like I said, I'll try to update faster. :)_


	4. The Rustling In The Trees

**A/N:** _Holy. I haven't updated since MAY. O_O DON'T KILL ME PLEASE. I just… lost inspiration, honestly… I thought this story was completely dead… until today. I randomly got inspiration for it! Yeah, I don't really know… Anyways… Here's the next chapter… XD I actually wrote it back in May, but it was too short and I meant to add more to it before posting it, but I lost inspiration… This is basically like a lost chapter. XD It's also EXTREMELY short… Sorry about that. This entire chapter was written in May. The next chapter that I post will be one I wrote today. :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders. But I do own Kana, and the rest of the OC's in this story._

xXx

When I left Hazelle's home three hours ago, I hadn't been aware of how bad a condition I was really in. Every step I took sent a shock of pain through my rib cage. Since the day I woke up, Hazelle wouldn't let me out of the house, because she didn't want to strain me. So I had been stuck inside, with only Rue and her elaborate stories to keep me entertained.

It's been three weeks since the day I fell from the sky, and Hazelle had finally deemed me fit to travel to Arachna Kingdom. At first I didn't know what that was, or why I was going there. But Hazelle had explained it to me.

"Arachna Kingdom is home to the other Spider Riders," She had said. "They can help you more than I ever could."

And it was those words that had carried me this far. My curiosity and confusion smothered my pain, and made it bearable to go on.

Another hour passed before I was finally forced to rest. I leaned against the nearest tree trunk, and slowly slid down it, until I was in a sitting position. I looked around, taking in my surroundings.

I was in a small clearing. It was lined with a ring of irregular trees, all angled inwards, forming a kind of roof over my head. I wondered if it would be enough to shelter me if it started raining. The leaves of the trees were multi-colored; some were a normal green, others a crisp yellow or red. A couple were even purple.

_What a strange place_, I thought.

I was just starting to think this would be the perfect place to set up camp and sleep for the night before resuming my journey in the morning, when I heard a rustling somewhere in the tree branches above me.

My head snapped upwards, and I scanned the trees warily.

"Hello…?" I called cautiously.

The only response I was met with was silence.

_Must have just been the wind_, I thought.

A couple more hours passed without incident. I was able to set up camp, as well as scavenge for food in the forest just outside the clearing. I had found an assortment of nut and berries. I had also seen some mushrooms, but I left those alone.

The entire time I was out, I had felt like someone, or something had been watching me… But nothing happened, so the thought eventually left my mind.

By the time I had fallen asleep for the night, I had completely forgotten about the rustling in the trees.

xXx

**A/N: **_Well, there you go. An incredibly short chapter. I'm going to start writing the next chapter the second I post this one. It should be up by tomorrow at the latest. :) Again, I do apologize for the long ass wait… Hopefully it's worth it in the end? ;P_

_Reviewing is good for the soul. :3_


	5. The Enemy

**A/N:** _Okay, I'm a couple days late. I know I said I'd update the day after my last update, but I was busy with work and such. I just did not feel like writing. To make up for it, here's a super long chapter. :D (it's actually not that long… but it's long compared to what I normally write, and it's like, twenty times as long as the last chapter. XD That was so pathetic… I don't know why I bothered to update with that. I should have just added that to this chapter. OH WELL. Here you go!_

_Oh, real quick, I want to thank 'spidersendisup' for reviewing the last chapter. :) Yes. From now on, I'm shouting out/thanking every reviewer who reviews. So, if you review, I will thank you in the next chapter. Get it? xD BRIBERY FTW._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders. But I do own Kana, Kira, Myst, and the rest of the OC's in this story._

xXx

I woke up around noon. The sunlight filtered in through the trees, creating pretty afternoon shadows on the ground. I'd like to say I had woken up slowly to the sound of birds chirping and all that good stuff, but that would be a lie. Really, I had woken up suddenly, and under attack.

"Hah, some Rider you are!" My attacker said, sneering at me as she stood on a huge olive green and silver spider. She spoke with a strange accent that I couldn't place, though I guessed it was European of some kind. "Can't even make it to Arachna Kingdom in a timely manner." She let out a loud cackle, which chilled me to the bone.

Her armor looked like that of a sex slave. She showed quite a lot of cleavage, and quite a bit of leg and stomach, but the rest of her body was well covered by dark green armor, with black trimming. Her straight blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and her grey eyes were cold and unforgiving.

"W-Who…?" I asked, utterly bewildered. I'm usually a very confused person when I'm tired. It took a lot more insults from the girl- my attacker- for the situation to finally sink in.

She held out her hand, and I watched in shock as she summoned a very scary looking mace from thin air. The spiked ball of it was attached to the handle by a very long chain.

"Ah, fresh meat." She said with a sadistic smile.

I barely had time to blink before she jumped off her spider and charged at me. I only just dodged in time, but I wasn't lucky enough to escape completely unscathed. One of the two-inch spikes on her weapon had scraped the skin on my arm. It wasn't a deep cut, so I was surprised by the amount of pain this one wound brought. I grabbed my arm reflexively, and tried my best not to scream in agony.

The girl laughed maniacally again. "Hurts, doesn't it?" I only glare in response. "The spikes of my mace are laced with poison; you'll be dead within the hour." She did a backwards flip back onto her spider, and added, "Though, you're quite tough. Normally my victims are begging for mercy the second my poison finds its way into the bloodstream."

My legs gave out from under me, and I fall to the ground, gasping in pain, but refusing to give up. "You're a Spider Rider, aren't you? Why are you doing this? Hazelle told me Spider Riders fought evil… But you… You're the opposite! Why?" I hissed at her. My body was beginning to go numb at this point, but I did my best to hide it.

"You should be paralyzed by now!" She growled menacingly, completely ignoring the words I had spoken. "My poison is fast acting… This is ridiculous! Di̱li̱tí̱rio, kill her!" She snarled.

At this point, I was facedown on my stomach, unable to avoid any attacks. Even so, when her spider, Di̱li̱tí̱rio, shot a string of webs at me, I did all I could to get out of the way. Of course it was futile. I hadn't even moved an inch, before I was caught up in the attack. The web acted like a net, pinning me down and preventing me from moving- not like I could have moved in the first place. My face was buried in the dirt now, held down by the fine spider's thread. I couldn't see anything. The only sense I had at my disposal now was my hearing, which wouldn't do me much good.

"Say goodnight, Ki̱demónas." She said softly; though it was much more vicious than it was kind.

Within the next moment, I heard an entire event of sounds that didn't make sense to me, without being able to see it. First I heard- as well as felt- the flurry of boots trampling the ground. Next came a sharp intake of breath, quickly followed by an aggravated growl, and the clashing of two metals. Had someone come to save me? This was the only conclusion I could piece together, and I prayed it was true.

"It's you!" The girl roared in fury. "How dare you!"

"Kira." A new voice answered calmly. All I could tell from my one working sense was that it was a male. "Do you not have anything better to do, than picking on defenseless rookies? You are clearly out of this girl's league. Why bother?"

Okay, ouch! That was hurtful. I tried to wiggle free from my bindings, but it was simply no use. I gave up trying and focused on the confrontation unfolding in front of me.

"You know very well why I have to get rid of her… Or so you claim. Now get out of my way, before I'm forced to obliterate you in the process!"

"You simple-minded little girl… You really believe you can take me down? Hah… That's a laugh. Do you not remember what happened last time we fought?" The mysterious male said.

"Of course I remember that…" The girl, Kira, spit. "The Temple of Origin… Where did you put the stone? You can't keep it hidden for forever! I'll find it… and when I do…"

"Well, until you find it, you are no match for me. Must I give another demonstration? Or will you accept the fact you are outmatched, and leave?"

There was a long pause, before Kira finally said, "…Fine. Take the girl! Some warrior she is… completely pathetic. It's no loss. I can take her out anytime I want to! Move, Di̱li̱tí̱rio!"

I heard Kira leave on her spider, and then there was silence. A couple seconds later, I became aware I was no longer tied to the ground, though I still couldn't move due to the paralysis effect of the poison. With nothing else to distract me, I was quickly becoming aware of the pain I was in. My body felt like it was on fire, and it took a tremendous effort to take even a single breath. I would have loved to look up into my Savior's face and thank him for saving me, but it was impossible. What now? Surely he wouldn't leave me like this… Would he take me to a doctor? Suck the poison right out of my arm? So many possibilities ran through my mind, but they all started to jumble together as my judgment got hazier. I was slowly loosing consciousness, and I hadn't even realized it. I willed myself to focus on the pain now, afraid that if I lost consciousness, I'd never wake up again.

"Sleep." The voice commanded.

My eyes instantly snapped shut, and my mind went blank.

xXx

When I awoke, the first thing that registered was the pounding in my head, and how dry my mouth felt. But I wasn't in pain, aside from the slight headache. How could that be? I thought for sure I was going to die. I slowly sat up, and contemplated my surroundings.

I was in a clearing, but this one was much different than the one I had previously camped in. While that one had been void of plant life besides the ring of trees, this one was the complete opposite. The grass was longer than average; possibly ankle length, though I'd have to stand up to be sure. Various colored flowers grew everywhere. They were all breathtakingly beautiful, and gave off a delicious aroma.

I had spent my time sleeping in a make-shift bed that had been carefully woven from blades of grass, and other various materials. The grass was intertwined with some of the flower heads, to create a spectacular design. Someone had worked hard on this.

I looked around, but there was no one in sight. I got up, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was completely pain-free. Not even my broken ribs caused me any pain. It was weird, but I had always been taught to never look a gift horse in the mouth, so I didn't dwell on it for too long.

Before I had even taken a single step forward, he was there in front of me.

"Ah, so the sleeping beauty is finally awake." He smiled humorously.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked curiously. 

"A week."

Whoa, déjà vu, much? I hoped this wasn't going to become a habit.

"Wow, um…" I stuttered, unable to word what I wanted to say. "Were you… the one who saved me?" I asked shyly, looking down at my feet.

"Indeed I was… You were lucky I was there. Kira isn't known for her mercy."

"Clearly…" I muttered. Then louder, I said, "Well, thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," The man winked. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am!" I nodded enthusiastically. "I have a small headache, but other than that, I'm okay- No. I'm better than okay! I feel amazing. Not even my ribs hurt! What did you do?"

"I can't give away my secrets, now can I?" He said simply, smiling mysteriously.

"Well, can you at least tell me your name?" I asked hopefully.

"You will learn my identity eventually, I am sure. But for now, it shall remain a secret."

I frowned. "If you don't give me something to call you by, I'll have to give you a name myself!"

The man crossed his arms across his chest, and stared at me with an amused expression. "Oh, really? Well, let's here it."

I wasn't expecting to be put on the spot like that, so I ended up nervously blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "Myst!"

"Myst?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Myst." I repeated, defensively. "You're mysterious… It works."

"I guess it does. Myst it is, then." He smirked. "Now, sit back down. I have food for you." He said, putting his hands on my shoulder and forcing me to sit back down on the woven bed.

After a quick meal of berries, nuts, and some sort of cooked meat (I had refrained from asking what it was. No need to upset my stomach), Myst started up a conversation.

"Were you aware you were traveling in the wrong direction? Arachna Kingdom is in the east. You were heading south." He informed me.

I blushed in embarrassment. Directions had never really been my forte. "Oh." I said simply. "Oops."

"It is still early in the day. If you head out now, you can still cover a fair amount of distance before you'll need to stop for the night." He raised his hand, and pointed in the direction that I assumed was east. "If you head that way, and don't make any unnecessary detours, or pick any more fights, you should be able to make it there by tomorrow evening.

It was then, as his arm was raised to point me in the right direction, that I noticed it. Around his left wrist was a mahogany colored manacle. The gem was a solid gold color, and the spikes were a standard white.

"You're a Spider Rider too!" I exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and pulling it in front of my face in fascination.

Myst clucked him tongue in disapproval, and yanked his arm back. "Well of course I am, you silly girl! Do you really think I could scare off a girl like Kira if I was just a regular person? You'd think the 'Ki̱demónas'," He said, mocking Kira's accent, "would have figured that out by now. Maybe I expected too much from you…" He said, trailing off.

I ignored the blatant jab at my intelligence, and asked him what I had been wondering since I had first heard that word. "What does that even mean?"

Myst shook his head and sighed. "You will learn, eventually. Right now, you are not ready. All will be revealed in time." He got to his feet, and hauled me up with him. "Take this," He said, shoving a backpack into my arms. Before I even had time to wonder where the hell it had appeared from, he had spun me so that I was facing east. "Just walk straight until you come to a city. That city is Arachna Kingdom; your next destination."

"Wait a minute-" I stammered, taken aback by his sudden change in topic. I turned back around to face him, but he was gone. A chill went down my spine. How does he do that? First the backpack, then disappearing himself… It was just plain creepy. I sighed and slung the backpack over my shoulder, turning to face east again.

"Well, here I go… again." I sighed.

xXx

**A/N: **_FINALLY I'M DONE THAT CHAPTER. fdjhdufvhbdf It's freaking 2 in the morning, now. I think this is the longest chapter in ANY story I've ever written… and I started writing fanfiction way back in 2008. Normally I'd have stopped the chapter at the part where Kana is put to sleep, but my Twinnie demanded this chapter be 3,000 words. -_- Well, she'll just have to settle for 2,117 words, because I am all out of creative juice. It is bed time for this Spider Rider!_

_Reviews are always nice. :)_

_(Just tried to put this on FF… You guys are waiting longer, because the doc uploader is being a whore. -_- Notmyfault. Of course, by the time you read this, it'll have been put up already… XD)_


	6. The Girl In The Fire

A/N: D'awww. I got no reviews. :( No shout outs this time, I guess. Bribery FTL. D:

For all of you who were saddened by the fact the actual SR characters from the show aren't in this story, BEHOLD. AN ACTUAL CHARACTER. Yeah! You'll see. :)

xXx

_The fire raged through the city, flaming all that go in its way. Several buildings were charred piles of ashes now, while countless others were still aflame. One place in particular was feeling the full brunt of the inferno; Arachna Palace._

"_Silas! Brielle! Can you hear me? Where are you?" The woman called in panic. She was around thirty years old. Coughing violently, she made her way through the smoky halls, desperately searching for the young ones. Her blonde hair had fallen out of it's regular up-do earlier in all the chaos, and was now obstructing her vision, though she payed it no mind._

"_Let me help find them!" A female voice sounded from the manacle on her wrist. "It'd be much quicker, and-"_

"_No, Venus!" The woman barked, still navigating her way through the smoky abyss. "It's too dangerous!"_

_The woman ignored the rest of her spider's arguments to help, and continued on. "Silas! Brielle!" She would call, over and over._

_She had made her way to the fifth floor of the castle, before the smoke finally overwhelmed her. Gasping and choking, she collapsed to her knees, unable to breathe._

"_Corona! Corona!" Venus cried, unable to help her Rider._

"_V-Venus..." She stammered through coughs. "Spider out!" She called, raising her left arm above her head. There was a bright flash of light, and the pink and white spider appeared beside her fallen Rider._

"_Corona..." Venus whispered._

"_Go! Find them, please, Venus!" Corona choked, tears streaming down her face. She knew this was the end for her, and she could only hope Venus was able to bring the two to safety._

"_I can't just leave you h-" Venus started to rebuttal, before being cut off by her Rider._

"_GO!" She barked. "Please..." She said, softer. "Save them..."_

_Seeing her Rider on the brink of death like this caused Venus so much pain. If she could cry, she'd probably produce enough tears to put out the fire. "As you wish... Corona..." She said sadly. "I will save your children..."_

"_Thank you..." Corona whispered, before closing her eyes for the final time. She could die now, knowing her children would make it out alive. Venus could do it. She had faith that her Spider would grant her her dying wish._

_With a breaking heart, Venus turned and left her dying Rider._

xXx

I woke up violently, coughing and choking, gasping for air, as if I had been in the fire myself. What kind of dream was that? I had never had a dream that I wasn't in myself, let alone two people- well, one person and a spider- that I didn't know. Who was that girl? My mind must have just made her up... maybe it was a hallucination, caused by side affects from Kira's poison. But I was apparently cured of that, so that couldn't be it...

That girl, in the fire... it sounds odd, but I felt like I knew her. Or at least, I felt as if I had heard about the event in my dream before...

It was still dark out, so I decided to go back to bed and forget about it. I laid down and closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me again. But it was no use. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about the blonde woman and her Spider. Who was she? What was her name? I couldn't remember... The more I tried to remember, the more about the dream I forgot. What color was her Spider, again? What were the children's names?

"Arghhh!" I cried out in frustration, punching the ground beside me. "This is so annoying!"

I tried to go back to sleep after that, but it was futile. Sighing, I got up and packed everything up. It was still dark out, but I decided I'd travel anyways. It's not like I had anything better to do, since sleep evaded me.

Walking around in the dark turned out to be a very bad idea. I jumped at every sound, from snapping twigs under my feet, to the buzz of an insect flying near my ear. I decided to focus on something besides the darkness, so I wouldn't be quite as paranoid.

How long had it been since I had entered the Inner World? Let's see... I was out for a week before waking up with the presence if Rue and Hazelle. Then I stayed there for another 3 weeks, before setting out to Arachna Kingdom. And I had been traveling for... what? 2 or 3 days? Before Myst found me. And he had said I was out for another week, so... I had been gone from how for more than a month... Everyone must be really worried about me. I wonder if my mother called the police and reported me missing? And Max... Poor Max. All alone, not knowing about the secret of her manacle-

Her manacle! I stopped dead in my tracks as the realization hit me. My sister was a Spider Rider, too. How could I have been so stupid not to realize this sooner? I looked down at my own manacle, which blended into the darkness well.

"Max..." I whispered. I missed my sister so much. How could I have been so cruel as to forget her all this time? The last time I had thought about her was when I had woken up at Hazelle's.

Oh, Max... with her blonde hair and unique color-shifting eyes. Her horrified face as I fell through the mirror portal flashed in my mind, and I had a sudden urge to cry. How must she be taking this? Was she glad I was gone? Was she lonely? Was she scared? Was she... looking for me? My heart ached at the thought of Max following me here. Yes, she was a Spider Rider, too, so she had just as much right to be here as I did. But what if she ran into Kira? I've always been the lucky one, she's been the unlucky one. I've always been clumsy, she's always been coordinated... I didn't want her to get hurt...

I remembered the girl from my dream. Desperately looking for someone, but unable to find them. Having to die, not knowing if they're alive or not.

I could only hope Max wasn't that unlucky.

xXx

**A/N:** _Yeaaaah... This chapter sucks. -_- I apparently suck at writing in third person (I haven't written like that in... at least 2 years. So cut me some slack, pl0x? :3), and I apparently suck at emotional scenes. XD Also, so sorry if Corona and/or Venus seemed OOC. I haven't watched Spider Riders in a LONG time. I still love it, though. ;) But yeah... Even if they are OOC, I have an excuse... THEY ARE OLDER AND ALL GROWN UP AND MORE MATUREEEE? /shot. No? Okay, then. ;_; _

_Review pleaseeee!_


	7. The Spider

**A/N:** _First off I'd like to thank MaxRide14 for reviewing. She's an awesome chicky, and incase you couldn't tell, she's the girl the character Max is based off of in this fic. She's awesome. Check out her stories! I also want to give a HUGE shout out to AccessBlade! My goodnessss! Spam me with reviews, why don't yah? x_x You, my friend, are AWESOME. :D_

xXx

I really hoped I was walking in the right direction. Traveling at night had gotten my already horrible sense of direction all mixed up. I was still relatively sure I was going the right way, but there was that little strand of doubt in the back of my mind. Oh well. If I was going in the wrong direction, I'd find out this evening. That's when Myst said I should get there.

I was really starting to wish I had had the forethought to bring a hair elastic with me. It was incredibly hot out, and my long, thick, dark hair was not helping to cool me off. I swept it all to one shoulder, fanning the bare side of my neck with my hand. I'd kill for some water right now. I hadn't yet gotten around to checking out what was in the backpack Myst gave me, so I decided to do it now.

I sat on the ground, and placed the faded grey backpack in front of me. I unzipped it, and found a treasure trove. The backpack contained several things, including a container of berries, a wrapped up leg of the same meat he had given me yesterday, a compass- which would do me no good since I don't know how to use one, and bless his soul! Two bottles of water!

I hastily pulled the cap of one up and gulped it down. I stopped when I was about half way through, deciding I should save the rest, in case I was heading in the wrong direction.

I had just slung the backpack over my shoulder, when a loud, high-pitched animal scream made me jump.

"What the hell?" I cried. I placed my hand on my chest, feeling my heart beat frantically.

Whatever had screamed was now whimpering. It was close by. I was torn between going to check it out and possibly helping, or preserving my own life, and running away.

As I stupidly stood there, debating on what I should do, I realized the crying had stopped. Guilt ripped through me, as I processed the fact that animal was probably now dead because I was too big a coward to do anything.

I had only taken a couple of steps forward, when more agonizing cries rang out, successfully scaring me out of my wits... again. I stopped and turned to face the direction the sound was coming from. To rescue the poor thing I'd have to enter the forest, and I knew if I did that, I'd most likely forget which direction to travel in.

Kira's words suddenly echoed in my mind. '_Hah, some Spider Rider you are!_'. Fury ran through me, and I was seized with adrenaline. I marched into the forest with new found confidence (or stupidity).

I followed the sounds of the whimpering, becoming aware of a new sound, that got louder the closer I became. It was a disgusting sound; one that sent a shiver down my spine. It was the sound of something feeding. My pace slowed as terror slowly washed over me. What was I doing? I was just a girl. Sure, I may be a Spider Rider, but I didn't have a Spider. I was useless. I couldn't do anything to help.

Nevertheless, my feet still moved forward, even when I willed them not to. I stopped when I reached a cave that was burrowed into the side of a steep hill. There was no mistaking it; the sounds were coming from in there. I gulped fearfully, and entered the beast's lair.

xXx

Nothing could have prepared me for the gruesome sight that I'd find at the end of the cave. My eyes were wide with horror when I first stumbled upon the creature. It was a deep purple color, while it's face and underbelly was silver, with black lines running around the edge of its body. There was a black lightning bolt shape on its lower back. Scattered all around it were bloody carcass' and bones of once living animals. Strings of webs were everywhere; on the floor, hanging from the corners of the cave and on the cavern ceiling.

I had hidden behind a large, web covered boulder, some ways away from the Spider. I leaned against the rock and peeked around it to see it better, but had immediately regretted it. Not only had the Spider spotted me, letting out a deep, guttural growl, but my back had touched a clump of Spider web, and now I was stuck.

I was astonished by the Spider's speed. Within seconds, it was upon me. I cried out in fear, and flinched when it spoke.

"Human!" It was a female spider, that much I could tell. "Why have you come here?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was an inaudible squeak.

"Answer me!" She boomed, slashing my arm with her pincers.

I cried out in pain. "I.. I don't know!" I stammered, my heart racing. Luckily I couldn't see the wound because of my sleeve, or I might have fainted. I'm pretty squeamish.

"Wrong answer-"

The Spider was cut off by a sword hurtling in her direction. She lept away from me in time to dodge, and I almost fainted when the sword bounced off the rock, an inch from my head.

"Leave her alone." A voice sounded from the shadows. A figure appeared from the darkness, he approached me and picked up his sword. His face was covered by the hood of his black cloak, so I couldn't make out his features.

The Spider hissed at the man. "Are you one of them?" She roared in anger, before charging at him.

I thought for sure he was a goner. The Spider moved like lightning. But he dodged her with ease.

"No, I am not. Peace, Spider. I do not mean to harm you. If that was my intention, you would have died by my sword when I first arrived. I only meant to stop you from hurting the girl." He explained, lowering his sword.

"Liar!" She cried. "How can I trust you, after all the wrong your kind has done?"

"I can see my words hold no grounds, with you. Perhaps a friend of mine can convince you." He said. Throwing his left arm in the air, he called, "Spider out!"

There was a bright flash of light, and a Spider much larger than any I've seen appeared. It was mainly white, with an ice blue face and underbelly, with gold trimmings.

"Shiva," The man said. "This Spider believes I mean her harm."

The white Spider, Shiva, turned to look at the other. "Ah, Zalia... Still as reckless and headstrong as always..." He said in a deep, humorless tone.

"M-Master Shiva!" The other Spider, Zalia, exclaimed. "What are you doing in the presence of humans? They are our enemies... Isn't that what you always taught us?"

"No, you have mistaken my teachings. Not all of these humans have dark souls. The humans in the east, such as my partner, are throwing their lives away to fight against the evil ones." Shiva explained. "When I left Tortun in charge of the clan, so I could journey across the land, my one goal was to seek out the help of the so called eastern Spider Riders. I found my partner, and he gladly accepted the task. He assembled a group of four others, and I used my powers to call upon four other spiders-"

"Skye, Emerald, Rion, Drago, Tenma..." Zalia interrupted quietly. "That's where they went? They disappeared without a trace... We thought maybe... the Dark Ones had..." She trailed off.

Shiva was quiet for a moment. "I did not call upon Tenma... He disappeared?"

"Yes, the same night the others did... You're sure you didn't...?"

"I'm positive. He might have seen the others leave, and tried to follow them... Though, they have never mentioned anything of the sort... That is troublesome. I will speak to them when we return to Arachna Kingdom." Shiva decided.

"Excuse me, 'we'?" Zalia repeated.

"Yes, 'we'."Shiva nodded. "You and your partner will accompany us to Arachna Kingdom. Perhaps we can get to the bottom of Tenma's disappearance."

"But, Master, I do not have a partner..." Zalia said quietly.

"Then who is that human girl?" Shiva said, turning to face me.

"I do not know her! She trespassed onto my territory. I was just about to do away with her, when-"

"I'm glad I arrived when I did, then." The hooded man spoke arrogantly. "Saved you from making the mistake of killing your own battle partner."

Zalia growled at him, then turned on me. "You!" She roared, causing me to flinch again.

"M-Me?" I stammered.

"Are you a Rider?" She demanded.

I held my manacle in front of me. "Yes..." I said quietly.

Zalia went quiet. She just stared at me. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I blushed.

"Well, that settles that, then." Shiva said, breaking the silence. She is your partner... You can't disagree after seeing that manacle. You will accompany us to Arachna Kingdom, yes?"

"I guess..." Zalia grumbled. I got the sense that she knew she had no choice but to accept me as her Rider.

The hooded man walked over towards me, and pointed his sword at me. The color in my face drained, as I awaited the pain to come. Instead, he slashed at the webs that had me stuck against the rock.

"Not very bright, are you?" He chuckled, removing his hood. He had dark skin, and dark eyes. His hair was black, and shaggy enough that it fell in his eyes. He was very handsome, I had to admit. He held his hand out to help me up.

I glared at him and ignored his offer to help. I hoisted myself up and walked over to Zalia. "I'm plenty bright, thank you very much!" I said angrily.

"Right... That's why you were stuck to a rock." He said, rolling his eyes. "I'm Damon, by the way."

I stuck my tongue out at him immaturely, which he raised an eyebrow at in return.

"How far is Arachna Kingdom?" Zalia asked, ignoring the two of us.

"Not very far at all," Damon answered. "About three or four hours, on Spider."

"Excuse me?" Zalia howled. "I am NOT letting that puny girl hitch a ride on me!"

"Who are you calling puny?" I said in outrage.

Damon smirked. "Your Spider knows you so well..." He frowned. "What's your name?"

"Kana." I huffed. I didn't care how cute this guy is. He was on my list. And my list is not somewhere you wanted to be. He would feel my wrath.

"Enough of this nonsense." Shiva said impatiently. "Let's go."

Damon said nothing, but hopped onto his Spider. Shiva walked away, leaving Zalia and I alone.

I looked at Zalia, unsure of what to do.

"Eat dirt." Zalia spit at me, following Shiva out.

I sighed. Maybe Damon would let me ride Shiva with him. I followed them out, glad to finally be on my way. I was almost there. Today's events confused me, but I'd have time to get the full story later. For now, I just needed to focus on getting to Arachna Kingdom.

xXx

**A/N:** _Well... That is not at all how I planned this chapter to go. :\ I had planned for Kana to meet Zalia in this chapter, but I hadn't planned for them to become partners until the chapter after next. Oh well. I'll just roll with this. XD The whole Spider Clan thing wasn't in my original plan for this chapter either, but I figured now was as good a time as any to implement it._

_Oh, just a head's up; next chapter is going to be kind of different than the norm... You'll see what I mean. XD_

_How do you guys like Zalia, Damon, and Shiva? Feedback is always nice. Review please. :)_


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